ISAGO Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT IS ISAGO?............................................................................................................................................ 2
What does the ISAGO acronym stand for? ................................................................................. 2
What is ISAGO? ........................................................................................................................... 2
What is the goal of ISAGO? ......................................................................................................... 2
Who does ISAGO apply to? ......................................................................................................... 2
What is the general structure of the ISAGO program? ................................................................ 2
What is the ISAGO audit scope? ................................................................................................. 3
If my airline provides third party ground services and is IOSA registered, do I need to
undergo an ISAGO audit to get my ISAGO registration? ............................................................ 3
BENEFITS OF ISAGO ..................................................................................................................................... 4
How will ground handlers benefit from ISAGO? .......................................................................... 4
What are the benefits for airlines? ............................................................................................... 4
Are there benefits for regulatory and airport authorities? ............................................................ 4
What is the regulatory authority involvement in ISAGO? ............................................................. 4
THE ISAGO AUDIT .......................................................................................................................................... 5
What is the ISAGO audit structure? ............................................................................................. 5
What is the ISAGO documentation system? ............................................................................... 5
Where can I find the ISAGO documents? .................................................................................... 5
Who conducts the audit under the ISAGO program? .................................................................. 5
Who trains the ISAGO auditors?.................................................................................................. 6
HOW TO BECOME AN ISAGO REGISTERED GSP?.................................................................................... 6
What is the registration process to become an ISAGO Ground Service Provider? .................... 6
How long does it take to get ready for an ISAGO audit? ............................................................. 7
Where can I see the registry list? ................................................................................................. 7
What is the valid term for an ISAGO registration? ....................................................................... 8
COSTS AND FEES .......................................................................................................................................... 8
How much does an ISAGO audit cost? ....................................................................................... 8

Contact Information:
IATA Montreal- Head Office
800 Place Victoria
PO Box 113
Montreal - H4Z 1M1
http://www.iata.org/isago
email: isago@iata.org

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What is ISAGO?
What does the ISAGO acronym stand for?
IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations.

What is ISAGO?
ISAGO is an audit program for ground handling companies serving airlines at airports.
The audit is built around a set of harmonized, globally recognized standards.

What is the goal of ISAGO?

ISAGO aims to improve operational safety within the airport ground operations environment by
reducing damage to aircraft and equipment and improving efficiency by reducing the number of
redundant audits done by airlines on Ground Service Providers (GSPs).
GSPs that model their operations on the ISAGO standards are making a commitment to operate
according to globally accepted industry best practices.

Who does ISAGO apply to?

The program is available to all GSPs worldwide, irrespective of size, or independent status. More
details on the scope of the audit can be found on the below paragraph

What is the general structure of the ISAGO program?

To ensure integrity, quality and oversight of the program, the following are the principal entities of
the ISAGO program and their basic functions:

IATA Developer of the standards, administrator of the ISAGO registry and ongoing quality oversight of the ISAGO program

ISAGO Oversight Council Group of airlines and GSPs, providing oversight and
guidance to the ISAGO program. Regulatory and airport authorities can participate
as observers.

Pool Advisory Group Group of participating member airlines that assists IATA in
the management and administration of the ISAGO Pool. (The PAG will cease
existing as a separate entity and will be merged with the ISAGO Oversight Council,
effective April 2013)

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What is the ISAGO audit scope?

The ISAGO standards are composed of the following sections:

Section 1: Organization and Management (ORM)

Sub-section ORM-H: for headquarters audit
Sub-section ORM-HS: for co-located headquarters and station audit
Sub-section ORM-S: for station audit

Section 2: Load Control (LOD)

Section 3: Passenger Handling (PAX)

Section 4: Baggage Handling (BAG)

Section 5: Aircraft Handling and Loading (HDL)

Section 6: Aircraft Ground Movement (AGM)

Section 7: Cargo and Mail Handling (CGM)

The scope of the audit is tailored to the range of activities conducted by the ground service provider
to be audited at a particular station. ISAGO is applicable to independent ground handlers as well as
airline-owned subsidiaries.

If my airline provides third party ground services and is IOSA registered, do I need to
undergo an ISAGO audit to get my ISAGO registration?
Yes, ISAGO audits are also applicable to IOSA airlines that provide third-party ground services and
is not related or linked to their IOSA registration.

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Benefits of ISAGO
How will ground handlers benefit from ISAGO?
ISAGO creates an environment for safer operations, resulting in fewer accidents and less injuries to
personnel. Also, it reduces the number of audits from the customer airlines, allowing GSPs to focus
their resources on operations.
The ISAGO registry enhances the company image, as it represents an independent validation of
the handlers operational safety practices.

What are the benefits for airlines?

ISAGO will establish a worldwide ground operational safety benchmark and standard. It will drive
down the number of redundant audits by implementing a system of audit sharing and registration.
Airlines will also save costs through less ground damage.

Are there benefits for regulatory and airport authorities?

ISAGO improves safety oversight for the regulatory and airport authorities regarding the activities
conducted by GSPs. Some international regulators and airport authorities are already considering
ISAGO as a minimum standard of safe operations and have mandated the program in their
respective areas/countries or airports

What is the regulatory authority involvement in ISAGO?

Certain key regulatory authorities from around the world have been involved in the development of
ISAGO from the very beginning. IATA recognises the necessity of regulatory recognition to ensure
the future success of the ISAGO program. Currently the program is supported by more than 25
regulatory authorities, including the European ECAC.

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The ISAGO Audit

What is the ISAGO audit structure?
ISAGO audits are conducted both at the headquarters and at the airport operations level of a
ground handling company. ISAGO examines the complete spectrum of a ground handling company
and assesses continuity of operational management and practices between headquarters and
stations.
Headquarters audits are focused on operational management and control. Station audits are the
backbone of the program and remain the focus of most audits.
GSPs must complete an audit at the headquarters level prior to conducting any station audits.
GSPs having their headquarters co-located with a station as a combined entity and providing
services at a single station are eligible for a combined, headquarters-station audit.

What is the ISAGO documentation system?

The main publications, available for free, are:

The ISAGO Standards Manual (GOSM) includes the standards used for the audit
and the audit checklists

The ISAGO Program Manual (GOPM) The standards that govern IATA and the
audit entities in the management and execution of the program

The Auditor Handbook (AH) The procedures and guidance material for the
conduct of the audit

The IATA Reference Manual for Audit Programs (IRM) defines the abbreviations
and terms that are associated with the standards and recommended practices.

Where can I find the ISAGO documents?

The ISAGO documents are available for download, at no cost, on the IATA website:
www.iata.org/isago

Who conducts the audit under the ISAGO program?

For GSPs operating in more than one country, the headquarters audits are conducted by IATA
accredited Audit Organizations (AOs). For GSPs operating in one country only, the headquarters
audits are conducted by a pool of airline auditors from existing resources.
Headquarters co-located with a station as a combined entity are audited by a pool of airline auditors
only.

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Station audits are also conducted by a pool of airline auditors drawn from existing resources. The
ISAGO Audit Pool concept is drawn from the existing IATA Fuel Quality Pool (IFQP) and the
De/Anti-Icing Quality Control Pool (DAQCP) models.
Airlines shall nominate a sufficient number of auditors to constitute one or more teams of three
auditors or parts thereof for the conduct of audits at specified airports. A Multilateral Agreement is
established between participating airlines and IATA and administered by IATA for the ISAGO
program.

Who trains the ISAGO auditors?

The AOs for headquarters audits utilize experienced aviation auditors who have undergone a
training and qualification process and have been approved as IOSA auditors for Organization and
Management System (ORG), Ground Handling (GRH) and Cargo and Mail Handling (CGM) (if
applicable) audit disciplines. IATA has accredited an Endorsed Training Organization (ETO) to
conduct training of these auditors.
The Audit Pool utilizes airline auditors who have undergone and successfully passed an ISAGO
Auditor Training Course, developed and delivered by the IATA Training and Development Institute
(ITDI).

How to become an ISAGO registered GSP?

What is the registration process to become an ISAGO Ground Service Provider?
1) ISAGO Standards Integration

Familiarize with the

www.iata.org/isago

The GOSM is comprised of 7 sections relevant to specific activities of any ground

service provider. As a result each section shall be distributed to the appropriate
areas of your company

Ensure that all ISAGO Standards are integrated into your operations

ISAGO

Standards

Manual

(GOSM),

available

at

Internally assess your readiness by doing an internal GAP analysis using the
GOSM checklists and identify the areas that will need modification or improvement
in order to meet the ISAGO standards.
2) Audit scheduling

Request access to the ISAGO extranet.

(http://www2.iata.org/registration/getemailpage.aspx?siteurl=isago)

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Once your access request is reviewed and approved (usually within 24 hours), your
log in credentials will be sent to you via e-mail. Log into the ISAGO extranet and
follow the instructions provided to register your Headquarters, Station, or Colocated audit.

IATA acknowledges your request and allocates the audit, according to Audit
Organizations and Airline auditors availabilities. You can always monitor the status
of your audit request by logging into the ISAGO extranet.

Audit Requests for a particular year, must be registered by the GSP, latest by
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September 30 of the preceding year. IATA processes all requests in the month of
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October and finalizes next years audit schedule latest by October 30 of the
preceding year. For example, a request for an audit in 2014 must be registered by
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the GSP latest by September 30 2013. IATA will have the full 2014 audit schedule
st
ready and communicated to the GSPs and Pool Airlines by October 31 , 2013.

3) ISAGO Audit hosting

Upon confirmation of audit schedule, IATA recommends that the GSP coordinate
with its respective airport authority in order to facilitate the ISAGO audit.

Registration is the final objective of the ISAGO audit process. The ISAGO registry is the only
existing web-based listing of ground handling companies that have successfully undergone an
ISAGO audit and have cleared all findings within 6 months following the on-site audit meeting.
To enter the ISAGO registry, an organization shall have first completed the corporate audit and a
minimum of one station audit. Each station of a provider shall be added progressively to the registry
as they demonstrate conformity with the ISAGO standards applicable to the scope of services
conducted by the provider.
The ISAGO registry includes, for each registered provider, the following:
1. Company name
2. Stations that have successfully completed the ISAGO audit
3. Services conducted at each station
4. The expiry date of the registration. A renewal audit should be performed at least 150 days
prior the expiry date to ensure that the GSP continues to satisfy the registration
requirements.

How long does it take to get ready for an ISAGO audit?

The assessment depends on the complexity of the GSPs operations, the way procedures are
described in the company manual and the overall conformity to GOSARPs. On the average, it takes
between 3 to 6 months of preparation.

Where can I see the registry list?

It is available on the IATA website www.iata.org/isago/registry

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What is the valid term for an ISAGO registration?

ISAGO audits are conducted on a two-year cycle. IATA will provide notification for GSP audit
renewals of corporate office and stations that are on the ISAGO registry.
When a provider fails to renew the registration of its corporate office, all of the providers registered
stations are suspended from the ISAGO registry until the corporate office of the provider has
completed and demonstrated operational fitness through conformity with ISAGO standards.

Costs and Fees

How much does an ISAGO audit cost?
For GSPs operating in more than one country
Corporate audit GSPs will cover the costs of the corporate audits, which are to be conducted by
independent AOs accredited by IATA. The corporate audit will usually take place at the
headquarters of the company.. The cost consists of US$5,000 in professional fees, and a maximum
of US$5,000 of travel expenses for the one auditor needed to conduct the corporate audit. Travel
expenses will be billed to the GSP in accordance with the actual expenditure.
Corporate audit
Headquarters

Stations

Amount (US$)

Cycle

Applicable to

$5,000
plus
a
maximum of $5,000
of travel expenses

2 years

GSPs

NIL

2 years

GSPs

For GSPs operating in one country only

Corporate audit

Amount (US$)

Cycle

Applicable to

Headquarters

NIL

2 years

GSPs

Co-located / Stations

NIL

2 years

GSPs

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Off-Pool audits
The audit cost model as described above is valid for the normal pool concept. Station or Combined
audits that, for a number of reasons (no Pool Member Airline is a customer of the GSP, volume of
existing audits exceed the current capacity of the pool Member available resources, etc) cannot be
allocated to a Pool Members schedule are classified as Off-Pool and are offered by either an AO
or AA on a commercial basis (list of the Pool-Members can be found here).

The audit cost is the result of a bidding process, where the audit is allocated to the AO/AA offering
the lower price (consisting of a professional fee, travel expenses, hotel accommodation, meals).
IATA will organize, manage and oversee the bidding process.

Corporate audit
Headquarters
Co-located / Stations

Amount (US$)

Cycle

Applicable to

Not applicable
Not standard, result
of a bidding
process

2 years

GSPs

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